Scorcho
Generous lover of posting.
Joined: 16 Aug 2006
Posts: 627
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 Posted: Wed May 07, 2008 8:33 pm Post subject: Thaddeus Baker: AKA "Blackout" |
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Real Name: Thaddeus "Ted" Baker
Hero Name: Blackout
Former Names/Aliases: "The Electrical Man" (1946-1973), "Spark"(1973-1992), "Mr. Lightning" (1992-2031)
Birth Date: September 19th, 1864
Background: Thaddeus Baker was one of the earliest scientists in the field of electrical energy. Conducting research and experiments with the likes of both Thomas Edison and Nikola Tesla. Thaddeus never achieved much fame from his works. Preferring to be in more of a supporting role to other engineers, feeling that this would allow him more freedom and flexibility in his normal life.
This continued on into the 1920s. When he was 63 years of age, he was diagnosed with Lung Cancer. He was opposed to then-experimental radiation treatment for his illness. Instead, he was convinced by Dr. Tesla to become part of an experiment involving electricity and the immune system. Instead of being subjected to radiation. Thaddeus was subjected to varying strengths of electrical currents. This treatment did actually appear to help Thaddeus, reducing the size of the cancerous tumor on his lung. He continued the treatment for three months. One day during the treatment, the equipment malfunctioned, sending an electric current through him that was far, far greater than any other. One that should have killed him. However, once Dr. Tesla managed to get the equipment back under control, it appeared that Thaddeus was fine. He was able to walk around and function normally. Three hours later. Thaddeus dropped, apparently dead...
Dr. Tesla, panicked over the ramifications a fatal human experiment would have on his credibility, attempted to revive Baker with an experimental device sent to him by Dr. Prevost and Dr. Batelli: The Defibrillator. Once Dr. Tesla delivered the shock to Thaddeus' heart, he was revived, and was able to get up and move about like nothing ever happened. One hour later, he dropped. After Dr. Tesla repeated the process he came to an amazing conclusion: Thaddeus Baker was surviving off the electricity. The electrical current seemingly "powered" his circulatory, muscular, and nervous systems, as long as he remained electrically charged, he could function normally. However, if his "charge" ran out, he would fall into a near-death state, and would assuredly die if he remained "uncharged" for too long.
Dr. Tesla convinced Thaddeus to conduct more tests on him. Upon further research the two found that not only did the electricity allow Baker to remain alive but it had an amazing recuperative ability on his body. Thaddeus' cancer cleared up within two months of the experiments, and any physical damage would heal at a very rapid rate. This "healing" caused Thaddeus' body to consume electricity more quickly than normal, however.
Tesla continued experimenting on Thaddeus until his death in 1943. By this time not only was Thaddeus able to heal at a rapid rate, but he was also able to fire electrical blasts from his hands, as well as increase his strength, agility, and stamina to near super-human levels. Before his death, Dr. Tesla constructed a device for Thaddeus that allowed him to "plug in" to an electrical outlet in order to absorb an electrical charge. Thaddeus continued to work on this device, working off of it and developing a backpack-like device that would turn him into a super conductor. Drawing nearby electrical fields and currents to him like a magnet. Thaddeus kept Dr. Tesla's experiments on him a secret according to his wishes and has never told anyone of them to this day.
In 1946, Thaddeus decided to join the Freedom Legion, taking on the name "The Electrical Man". He used his extraordinary abilities to fight crime, and quickly became a respected member of the team due to his knowledge, and dedication to justice. His "backpack" super-conductor design evolved throughout the years. In 1973, he modified it, sewing the device into a black overcoat. In the mid-1990s, he learned how to draw power from electrical sources without the air of a device, but continued to wear the black overcoat for sentimental reasons, and it has become a part of his main costume. He remained in the Freedom Legion for 103 years, becoming far and away the longest-standing member of the group. Despite being a member longer than most of the member's grandparents had been alive, Thaddeus preferred to stay out of the spotlight, doing his work and leaving the publicity up to other high-profile members. He left the group in 2049, stating that though he still had great reverence for the members it simply "Wasn't the group he signed up for anymore."
Blackout served his country in World War 3 in 2029, which was the career move he made that was most picked up by the media. Stating "I've seen the first two World Wars... It's my turn to defend our country and make a difference." This gained him much favor in the eyes of the media, and he was heralded as a true patriot and hero. His missions were well covered by the media. However, when he returned home after the war, honorably discharged, and receiving a Bronze Star, The Medal of Honor, and an unprecedented twelve Purple Hearts (due to his ability to heal so quickly), he went into hiding. He was deeply scarred by the horrible things he had seen and done in the brutal war and disappeared for nearly a whole year until he resurfaced as Blackout, when he re-joined the Freedom Legion to help save the world from the attacking alien race "The Tarmarrons" brought here by "The Man Who Sold the World".
Blackout has had many rivals in his 100+ year crime fighting career. Most have perished due to various means or are sitting in prison. His arch-enemies have become fewer and fewer. As time has gone by, villains simply have less and less to target to draw blackout's personal hatred. He has no living family left that he knows of, and his friends are almost entirely superheroes. His one current rival is Speed Demon. Blackout is one of the few Heroes alive than can come close to catching up with Speed Demon in terms of pure speed, and he can often outsmart him in terms of the decades and decades of experience he has on him. The two have locked in many fierce battles, each one rarely getting the better of the other, but finally ending at a stalemate each time.
Powers: Blackout has the ability to draw from electrical sources around him, drawing power from them. With this power he is able to boost his physical abilities, as well as gain the abilities of flight (both planetary and intergalactic), both planetary and inter-stellar, super speed, the ability to fire bolts of electricity from his hands, and the ability to stun his opponents with electricity, overloading their nervous systems with electrical current.
He relies entirely on electricity to function. He does not need to breath, and can operate just fine underwater or in a vacuum. His electrical absorption also allows him to heal much more quickly than normal. Though when his healing is accelerated he expends energy at a much more rapid rate. He is also naturally immune to electricity, and has actually been able to reverse his aging process, making him appear in his late thirties.
The drawback of his powers is that he must always be electrically charged to survive. If he loses his electrical charge he becomes weaker and weaker at a rapid rate until he stops functioning - and then shortly after - dies.
Appearance: He looks like he is in his mid-thirties. His costume consists of a black overcoat, underneath is a blue top with a yellow lightning bolt adorned on his chest, as well as black pants with a yellow belt and black army boots. He wears specially made gloves on his hands that keep him insulated and prevent him from accidentally discharging current until he so chooses.
Known Allies: The Freedom Legion, Johnny Rocket II (Retired), Lone Wolf (Deceased), Delta Blue, Captain Canada, Mr. Stardust, The Big Kahuna.
Known Enemies: Speed Demon, Blackball (Deceased), Blackball II(Deceased), Blackball III (Incarcerated), Hell Hound (Incarcerated), The Big Question (Unknown), Fireball (Deceased), Col. Slash (Deceased), Thundergirl (Deceased), Breakneck (Incarcerated).
He also has a known distaste for The Order, saying they are "In it for fame, glory, and riches. There has not been a drop of virtue in a single one I've met yet."
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| thejangler wrote: | | Man up, and rape the bitch already. |
Leave it to a dumb soldier to misquote a Jedi. |
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